Rotary internal-combustion engine.



B. F. GEBHARDT.

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-2,1915- Patented Jan. 16, 191?.

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R RRR RR Mh/wwoow B. F. GEBHARDT.

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-2,1915

Patented Jan. 16,1917.

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E] w uamtoz Patented Jan.16,1917.

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ilt) lid BERNAh/D F. GrlEBlE-IARDT, tIlF FREEPOJRT, NEW YORK.

EUTAPJY Tlil'JtlEltNAL-GOMBUSTTUN ENG-INF.

tpectfication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. Ad. rear.

Application filed November a, rare. Serialho. sonar.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that it, BERNARD F. Grunrrann'r acitizen of the United States, residing at Freeport, in the county ofNassau and State of New York, have invented new and useful improvementsin Rotary Internal- Uombustion Enginesy of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to rotary internal combustion engines, the objectin view being to produce an engine of the type referred to in which aunit embodyin two casings and two rotors is employe, one

casing and rotor being utilized forthe purpose of compressing theexplosive mixture and the other casing and rotor being utilined forexploding the compressed charges and causing repeated impulses to beimparted to the engine shaft which is common to the rotors of bothcasings, the invention also relating to the connections between thecompression and explosion chambers whereby the intake, compression,firing and enhaust cycles are automatically taken care of.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts,

as herein described, illustrated and claimed' In the accompanyingdrawings:-Figure 1 is an elevation of the engine of this invention. Fig.2 is a diametrical section through the engine showing the rotor shaftand other parts in elevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the engine.Fig. 4: is a side elevation looking in the opposite direction from Fig.3. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the compression chambershowing the rotor in elevation. Fig. 6 is a similar view taken throughthe explosion or combustion side of the engine and showing also therotorthereof in elevation.

, The engine contemplated in thisinvention comprises twin stationarycasings A and B arranged side by side and each of a generally circularformation, the casing A being centrally divided along the line a intosubstantially twin sections a and a", and the casing B being likewisedivided on the line 6 into substantially twin sections b and b".

or The casing A comprises an annular compression chamber 1 and thecasing B comprises a like annular explosion or combustion chamber 2. Thecasing A is provided with an intake port 3 for the explosive mixturewhile the casing B is provided with an exhaust port A and a hole 5 toreceive an ignition device such as a spark plug.

The casing A is provided with a radially slidable eut-od or abutment 6and the eas- 1ng B is provided with a corresponding cutoif or abutment'i, the abutment 6 being slidable through a suitable guide 8 extendingoutwardly from the casing A and preferably at the top thereof as shownin the drawings, the casing B being provided with a corresponding guide9 for its cut-0d or sliding abutment and also preferably arranged at thetop and in transverse alinement with the abutment or cut-off 6.

Tn the casing A there is mounted a rotor 10 the body of which isconcentric with the inner periphery of the casing, said rotor carryingon the periphery thereof a carrier 11 for a piston 12 which issubstantially cylindrical in cross section as shown in Fig. A and whichis grooved. to receive split packing rings 13 to prevent leakage of theminture past said piston. Tn like manner a corresponding rotor 14 ismounted within the casing 15 under the same arrangement and providedwith a carrier 15 for a piston 16 similarly provided with packing rings17. The two rotors 10 and 1A are mounted fast upon a common central sothat they both revolve in unison.

The sliding abutments or cut-offs 6 and 7 are provided with rack faces19 engaged by sector gears 20 driven by the shaft 18, each cut-off orsliding abutment being quickly closed by means of a coiled expansionspring 21 which is confined between a collar 22 fast on the slidingabutment or cut off and a stationary spring seat 23 connected to theengine frame.

241: designates a compression storage chamber which is connected to thecompression chamber 1 of the casing A by means of a pipe 25 containing aback pressure check valve 26 whereby the charge compressed in thechamber 1 is forced past the valve 26 and .trapped in the chamber orreservoir 24;. Another pipe 27 leads from the reservoir 24 into thecombustion chamber 2 of the casing B so as to conduct the compressedcharge into the combustion chamber 2 at a point between the slidingabutment 7 and the spark plug 5. The pipe 2t is controlled by a valve28, the stem29 of which is actu ated by a cam 30 on the engine shaft 18,the valve 28 opening inwardly to admit a charge into the combustionchamber 2 and being engine shaft 18 tlt dill

closed prior to each explosion and being held closed by the force of theexplosion.

The operation of the engine is as follows: Starting with the piston 12at the top of the casing A after having just passed the cutoff 6, saidpiston draws in a charge of gas through the port 3 from a suitablecarburetor (not shown). This operation may be performed by hand forstarting purposes by placing a detachable crank 31 on one end of theengine shaft 18. As the piston 12 again reaches the top of the casing,the cutofl 6 is slid outwardly by the means described to allow thepiston to pass thereby and the cut-off then immediately closes. In thenext complete circular movement of the piston 12, the charge previouslydrawn into the compression chamber 1 is compressed between the piston 12and the cut-off 6 while another charge is drawn into the chamber 1behind the piston. The compressed charge is then forced by the piston 12through the pipe 25 and trapped by the check valve 26 in the reservoir24. Just after the cut-off 7 in the combustion chamber has closed behindthe piston 16, the valve 28 is unseated, allowing a compressed charge toenter the combustion chamber 2 between the cut-off 7 and the piston 16.As soon as said piston passes by the plug 5, a spark is produced by thelatter, thereby exploding the confined charge and driving the piston 16in the direction indicated by the arrow, the previous charge which hasbeen ignited and expanded being expelled through the exhaust port 1. Theoperation just hereinabove described is repeated and the enginecontinues its op eration untilthe usual throttle valve (not shown) isclosed for the purpose of stopping the engine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In an engine of the classspecified, a

stationary casing comprising an annular compression chamber, an annularcombustion chamber concentric therewith and located at one side thereof,a rotor emlmdying a piston carried on the periphery thereof and mountedin the compression chamber, a like rotor carrying a piston working inthe combustion chamber, a common central shaft on which both of saidrotors are fixedly mounted, a sliding cut-ell movable across thecompression chamber, a like cutoff slidable across the combustionchamber in transverse alinement with the first named cut off, meansconnected with the engine shaft for opening and closing said cut-offs inunison, and means for transferring a charge from the compression chamberto the combustion chamber.

2. In an engine of the class specified, a. stationary casing comprisingan annular compression chamber, an annular combustion chamber concentrictherewith and located at one side thereof, a rotor embodying a pistoncarried on the periphery thereof and mounted in the compression chamber,a like-rotor carrying a piston working in the combustionchamber, acommon central shaft on which both of said rotors are fixedly mounted, asliding cut-oil movable across the compression chamber, a like cutoffslidable across the combustion chamber, rack and sector gear mechanismactuated by the engine shaft for opening and closing Said cut-oils inunison, means for transferring a charge from the compression chamber tothe combustion chamber.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BERNARD F. GEBHARDT.

\Vitnesses t Louis F. COMELLAS,

JAMES J. NOLAN.

